Ore-separator.



No. 820,568. PATENTED MAY l5, 1906. H. C. GROVES.

ORE SEPARATOR.

APPLICATION FILED una, 1905.

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No. 820,568. PATENTED MAY l5, 1906. H. C. GROVES.

ORE SEPARATOR.

APPLICATION FILED APR.3,1905.

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PATENTED MAY l5, 1906.

H. G. GROVBS.

ORE SEPARATOR.

ARPLIGATION FILED APR. s, 190.5.

Witwen No. 820,568. 'PATENTBD MAY 15, 190e.

` H. G. GROVES.

ORE SEPARATOR.

APPLICATION FILED APR.3, 1905.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFIOE.

ORE-SEPARATOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

ratentecl May 15, 1906.

Application filed April 3, 1905. Serial No. 253.477.

T0 @ZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HIRAM C. GRovEs, a citizen of the United States, residing at Woodward, in the county of Woodward and Territory of Oklahoma, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Ore-Separators; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact descri tion of the invention, such as will enable otlliers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to ore-separators and it is more particularly a machine for treating crushed and prepared ores, as well as gold,- bearing sand, placer-gold., and pay dirt of all varieties.

The object of my invention is to provide means whereby the water after passing through the machine may be returned and. reused.

A further object is to provide novel means for breaking or tearing up the sand blanket formed within the bowl of the machine.

A still further object is to provide novel devices for forcing water through the bowl, such movement of the water being produced by the rotation of the bowl within a casing provided for it.

With the above and other objects in view the invention consists of the novel constructions and combinations of parts hereinafter more fully described, and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings I have shown the preferrer1 form of my invention.

In said drawings, Figure 1 is a vertical section through the complete machine, the parts thereof being shown in perspective. Fig. 2 is a similar view looking at the machine in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the complete machine. Fig. 4 is an enlarged vertical section through the gearing employed. Figs. 5 and 6 are c etail views of the arns of the agitating-shafts. Fig. 7 is a perspective view of one of the bearings of the agitating-shafts. Figs. 8 and 82L show in plan and elevation one of the toothed disks of the agitators. Figs. 9 and 9a show in plan and elevation one of the cup-like disks of the agitators. Figs. 10 and 1()a show in plan and elevation one of the smooth disks of the agitators, and Fig. 11 is a detail view of a modified form of agitator.

Referring to the figures by numerals of reference, 1 is a preferably cylindrical casing open at the top and having a hollow semispherical bottom 2, which is surrounded by a support 3. An inlet-flume 4 opens into the casing adjacent the bottom thereof and a cleaning-trough 5 opens into one side of the semispherical bottom 2. The inner walls of this trough are preferably slotted, as shown, for the reception of sliding gates between which dirt may be packed to prevent leakage.

The cross-beam 6 is secured to opposite portions of the open end of casing 1 and has its central portion depressed, as shown at 7. This beam supports a power-shaft 8, mounted in suitable bearings and having a gear 9 at its inner end, which serves to transmit power to another gear 10, secured to one end of a shaft 11, ournaled in the center of beam 6. Shaft 11 is inclined within casing 1, and its lower end is recessed, as shown at 12, and receives a pin 13, extending upward from a pedestal or block 14, fixedly secured upon bottom 2 at a point removed from the center thereof. That portion of shaft 11 which is mounted in the beam 6 is surrounded by a sleeve 15, which is rigidly connected to the beam and has a gear 16 integral therewith. Another sleeve 17 is secured to the shaft 11 below the gear 16 and has a series of arms 18 projecting from it. To each of these arms is secured a rod 19, the outer end of which is fastened to the upper portion of a bowl 20. This bowl is cylindrical or slightly frustoconical for the greater part of its length; but its lower end is concavo-conveX, as shown at 21, and has a centrally-disposed inlet-opening 22, through which the shaft 11 projects. Blades 2 3 are formed upon the bottom 21 of the bowl and around the inlet-opening thereof, and the upper ends of these blades are connected by a cap 24, in the center of which the shaft 1 1 is mounted. The position of the blad es 23 is such as to impart a whirling upward movement to any water forced into contact therewith. As the cap 24, blades 11, and the bottom of the bowl are all rigidly connected, it will be seen that the lower end of the bowl will be held in proper relation to the shaft 11, and as the arms 19 connect the upper end of the bowl to said shaft it will be seen that the shaft and bowl will be held at all times concentric.

One or more of the arms 18 forms a bearing for a shaft 25, having a large gear 26 at its upper end, which meshes at all times with the gear 16. A smaller gear 27 is secured to the lower end of shaft 25 and meshes with a gear IOO IIO

28, which is rotatably mounted on the shaft 11 and secured to or formed with one end of a sleeve 29, which is mounted on the shaft 11 and bears at its lower end on the cap 24. Op-

positely-extending arms 30 are rigidly secured to the upper end of sleeve 29, and these arms are preferably formed in a single strip, the central portion of which is depressed, so that the arms may lie close to the under surfaces of the arms 18. `The ends of the arms 3() are slotted, as at 31, and are out of alinement with the sleeve 29. The slots, however, are formed along lines radiating from said sleeve. Oppositely-extending arms 32 are secured to the lower end of sleeve 29 and are also slotted adjacent their ends, as shown at 33. The slots are formed along lines radiating from the sleeve 29; but both of them are not in alinement with the sleeve. One of the arms 32, however, is located directly under and in the same plane with one of the arms 30; but the other arm 32 extends from the sleeve 29 at a different angle from that in which the arm 30 is located. Slidably mounted in each slot 31 and 33 is a block 34, having a head 35, adapted to overlap the edges of the slot. These blocks form end bearings for shafts 36 and 37, and the first of these shafts is in the same plane with shaft 11, while the shaft 37 is obliquely arranged, as shown more particularly in Figs. 2 and 3. Arranged on the shaft 36 is a series of disks 38 and 39, which are alternately arranged. Disks 38 have teeth 40 extending from their peripheries at varying distances apart, and these teeth are staggered, as shown. The disks 39 are flat and have sharpened peripheries. The disks of this series may be spaced apart in any suitable manner, as by means of collars or other suitable devices. (Not shown.) The disks 41 on shaft 37 are preferably conca'vo-convex and are spaced apart by means of collars 42 or in any other preferred manner. All of the disks are nor mally positioned at a slight distance from the inner surface of the bowl 20, but their shafts 36 and 37 can be moved toward the center of the bowl by sliding the blocks 34 in their slots.

The upper end of bowl 20 is provided with an annular flange 43, which is curved inward to form a head having a concave or U-shaped inner surface. Projecting into this head are preferably three pipes of different diameters, the larger pipe 44 having its inlet end nearest the center of the bowl, while the smallest pipe 45 is close to the surface of the head and farthest removed from the center of the bowl. The third pipe 46 is interposed between pipes 44 and 45. All of these pipes are mounted on the beam 6 and extend to suitable points removed from the machine and are adapted to convey water, sand, &c., from the machine to suitable points outside of it.

In Fig. 11 I have shown a form of agitator which may be substituted for the toothed disks. This consists of a shaft 47, having spirally-arranged teeth or lugs 48 thereon and adapted to successively contact with and tear the sand blanket.

In using the machines herein described the ore-bearing material-such as sand, pulverized ore, &c.-is washed into the casing 1 through fiume 4. Pior to this operation, however, the bowl 2O is caused to rapidly rotate, motion being imparted thereto from powerfshaft 8, through the gears 9 and 10, to shaft 11 and its arn's 18. The rotation of the arms 18 will of course cause gears 26 to travel on the stationary gear 16, thereby rotating shafts 25 and gears 27 and causing gear 28 and its sleeve 29 to rotate at a different speed from the shaft 11. Arrrs 30 and 32 will therefore be rotated within the bowl, but at a different speed there-fom, and will carry the agitating-shafts 36 and'37 and their disks. As the bowl 20 revolves the blades 23 will scoop up the mateiial discharged into the casing 1 and will impart an upward whii ling motion to it within the bowl. The sand and ore will quickly form a sand blanket upon the inner surface of the bowl, and this will be continually torn up by the disks on shaft 36, and the water acting upon the sand will wash a portion of it upward into the head 43, while the disks on shaft 37 continuously push the excess of sand toward the top by tuL ning small furi ows in that direction. The o "e, however, being heavier than the sand and water will be held by centiifugal force upon the inner suiface of the bowl. However, should any of it be washed into the head 43 it will be conveyed therefrom through the outer pipe 45, which is so disposed as to receive the heavier articles entei ing the head. being of less specific gravity than the sand or ore will pass outward through the pipe 44, and the sand,with the head, will be conducted, together with a sir all proportion of wa-4 ter, through the interniediate pipe 46. Should any other large particles be thi own The water wit 'n the head' IOO IIO

upon the inner surface of the bowl, they would not injure the disks, because said disks would be forced inward thereby, this ir overent being permitted by the sliding beaiby cent1 ifugal force in the outer ends of their slots, although, if desired, any mechanical means may be employed for holding them in such position. By forming the teeth 40 at different distances apart on the pe; iphei ies of disk 38 they are prevented from steppingI into the recesses pi eviously formed by them in the sand blanket, and ther efore the tearing or breaking of said blanket is insured. By staggering the teeth the constant agitation of the blanket is rendered still more certain. If, it is desired to remove the gold which is held upon the inner surface of the bowl by centrifugal force, it is merely neces- ISO 4sary to suddenly stop the rotation of the bowl,

and the particles will then fall by gravity through the inlet-opening 22. The bottom of the casing l can be readily cleaned by opening the trough 5.

By arranging the concave disks 4l on an obliquely-disposed shaft 37 said disks serve the purposes of hoisting devices for forcing the contents of the bowl upward.

It is very essential that the toothed disks 38 be disposed in closer proximity to the wall of the bowl than the disks 41, that they may penetrate the sand to a greater depth, thus allowing the gold to settle beyond the reach of disks 41. Otherwise the latter would disturb the accumulated gold, and it would be carried out with the sand and lost.

It will be seen that the machine devised by me is very simple and compact in construc-v tion and will quickly and thoroughly separate oies from sand, &c., without the necessity of employing mercury or utilizing any other like chemical process. While I have shown and described the use of but two agitating-shafts, it will of course be under stood that any desired number of them may be lerr.- ployed.

In the foregoing description I have shown the preferred fo; m of my invention; but I do not limit myself thereto, as I am aware that modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit or sacrificing the advantages thereof, and I therefore resei ve the right to make such changes as fairly fall within the scope of my invention.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. In an ore-separator the combination with a casing having an inlet; of an inclined bowl rotatably mounted within the casing and having an inlet in the bottom thereof, curved means for whirling liquid upward through the opening and against the wall of the bowl, agitating devices at one side of and staggered in relation to the axis of the bowl and movably mounted within the bowl and means for operating said bowl and the agitating devices. 4

2. In an ore-separator the combination with a casing having an inlet; of an inclined bowl rotatably mounted within the casing and having an inlet-opening in the bottom thereof, curved means surrounding the opening for whirling water upward therefrom into and against the wall of the bowl, a series of agitating devices at one side of and staggered in relation to the axis of the bowl and movably mounted within the bowl and extending longitudinally thereof, and means for o erating said series and the bowl at direrent speeds.

3. In an ore-separator the combination with a casing having an inlet 5 of a bowl rotatably mounted therein and having an inlet in its lower end, curved means adjacent and extending upward from the inlet for whirling liquid upward against the wall of and through the bowl during the rotation thereof, series of agitating devices movably mounted within the bowl and extending longitudinally thereof adjacent opposite portions of the axis of the bowl, one of said series being staggered in relation to said axis, and means for moving the bowl and agitating devices at different speeds.

4. In an ore-separator the combination with a casing having an inlet; of an inclined bowl rotatably mounted within the casing and having an inlet in its lower end, means adjacent and extending upward from the inlet for whirling liquid upward against the wall of and through the bowl during the rotation thereof, laterally-movable series of agitating devices rotatably mounted within, and extending longitudinally of the bowl at opposite sides of the axis thereof, one of said series being staggered in relation to said axis, and means for rotating the bowl and agitating devices at different speeds.

5. In an ore-separator the combination with a casing having an inlet; of an inclined bowl rotatably mounted within the casing and having an inlet in the Abottom thereof,

means adjacent the inlet for drawing liquid upward through the bowl during its rotation, a series of agitators mounted and adapted to travel within the bowl, such series comprising alternately-arranged smooth and toothed disks, and means for operating the bowl and agitators at different speeds.

6. In an ore-separator the combination with a casing having an inlet of an inclined bowl rotatably mounted within the casing and having an inlet in the bottom thereof, means adjacent the inlet for directing liquid upward through the bowl during its rotation, a series of agitators adapted to travel within the bowl, said series comprising disks having teeth at different distances apart, and means for operating the agitators and bowl at different speeds.

7. In an ore-separator the combination with a casing having an inlet; of an inclined bowl rotatably mounted within the casing and having an inlet in the bottom thereof, means adjacent the inlet for directing liquid upward through the bowl during its rotation, a series of agitators adapted to travel within the bowl, said series comprising disks having staggered teeth upon their peripheries at different distances apart, and means for operating the agitators and bowl at different speeds.

8. In an ore-separator the combination with a casing having an inlet; of an inclined bowl rotatably mounted within the casing and having an inlet in the bottom thereof, means adjacent the inlet for directing liquid upward through the bowl during its rotation, a series of agitators adapted to travel within IOO the bowl, said series comprising alternatelyarranged smooth and toothed disks, the teeth being staggered and at different distances apart, and means for operating the agitators and bowl at different speeds.

9. In an ore-separator the combination with a casing having an inlet; an inclined bowl rotatably mounted within the casing and having an inlet in the bottom thereof, means adjacent the inlet for directing liquid upward through the bowl during the rotation thereof, oppositely-disposed series of agitators within the bowl, one of said series comprlsing alternately-arranged smooth and toothed disks and the other series comprising concavo-conveX disks, and means for operating the agitators and bowl at different speeds.

10. In an ore-separator the combination with a casing having an inlet; an inclined bowl rotatably mounted within the casing and having an inlet in one end thereof, means for whirling liquid against the wall of and upward through the bowl from said end during the rotation thereof, agitating devices within the bowl at one side of the axis thereof and `staggered in relation thereto, a head upon the bowl at the vend farthest removed from the inlet, and a multiplicity of horizontally-disposed outlet devices within the head and at different distances from the center thereof.

11. In an ore-separator the combination with a casing having an inlet; of an inclined bowl therein and having an inlet in its lower end, blades within the bowl and adjacent the inlet, a cap connecting the blades, a shaft eX- tending through the bowl and cap and secured to the bowl, means for rotating the shaft, connected arms rotatably mounted on. the shaft, means for transmitting rotary motion thereto from the shaft, and oppositely-disposed series of agitating devices mounted within the arms.

12. In an ore-separator the combination with a casing having an inlet; of an inclined shaft rotatably mounted therein, a bowl surrounding and connected to the shaft, said bowl having an inlet in its lower end, blades adjacent the inlet and within the bowl, a sleeve rotatably mounted upon the shaft, arms extending therefrom, oppositely-disposed series of agitating disks connected to the arms and movable laterally therein, outlet devices within and adapted to receive material from the upper portion of the bowl, la power-shaft and mechanism operated thereby for rotating the shaft and sleeve at different speeds.

13. In an ore-separator the combination with a casing having a concave bottom and an inlet; of an inclined shaft within the casing, arms extending therefrom, a bowl surrounding the shaft and connected to the arms, said bowl having an inlet in the bottom thereof, blades within the bowl and adjacent the inlet, a cap therein surrounding the shaft, agitating devices movably mounted within the bowl, a power-shaft, and means operated by the shaft for driving the bowl and agitating devices at different speeds.

14. In an ore-separator the combination with a casing having a concave bottom p0rtion; of a shaft mounted upon and bearing on the bottom portion, a rotatable bowl secured to said shaft, a sleeve loosely surrounding the shaft, a plurality of agitating devices carried by the sleeve, a plurality of blades adjacent to an inlet-opening in the bowl, a series of discharge-pipes cooperating with the upper portion of the bowl, and means for rotating the bowl and agitating devices at different speeds.

15. In an ore-separator the combination with a easing,` of a rotatable bowl, a shaft rotatably mounted within the casing, means for securing the bowl to the shaft, a sleeve loosely surrounding the shaft, a plurality of arms radiating from the sleeve, said arms being grouped in pairs, a shaft rotatably secured between each pair of arms, disks carried by said shafts, a portion of said arms being staggered whereby the shaft interposed between will rest at an angle, and means for rotating the shaft and bowl at dierent speeds.

16. In an ore-separator the combination with a casing; of a shaft rotatably mounted therein, a bowl rigidly secured to said shaft, a sleeve loosely mounted upon the shaft, arms radiating from said sleeve and arranged in pairs, a shaft interposed between each pair of arms, one of said shafts being staggered in relation to the first-mentioned shaft, and

IOO

disks secured to said shafts in close proXim- IIIRAM C. GROVES.

Witnesses:

S. B. LAUNE, IDA D. NAY. 

